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Kristen Smith
Introduction: My full name is Kristen Luna Smith, Luna being my mother’s maiden name and Smith being my dad’s last name. I’m an only child and was born and raised in Austin, Texas. Currently I’m a junior here at OU studying journalism. When I graduate in the spring of 2015, my hopes are to go to New York City and work for RocNation Agency. For this project I did extensive research about both sides of my family. My mother chose Luna as my middle name because her family wanted someone to carry on the family name and to this day, I’m the only one with Luna attached to my name. I thought I knew a lot of about my family, but through my family interviews and research, I was amazed and proud of some of the information I was told. History: Luna Side: '''My mother, Carla Marie Luna Smith, is the third generation of the Luna family to be born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is the baby of three sisters, Coral and Patti. Her mother, Jean Luna, is both Spanish and French. My mother’s “Grandpa Nick” came to the United States from Seville, Spain and settled in what was then Mexico and later turned into New Mexico. Her other Grandpa on the Gaussoin, French side, came from France in the early 1900s. My mother’s father, Tony “Bapa” Luna’s family came over from Spain and he was a third generation American. '''Smith Side: '''My father, Steven Gregory Smith is a second generation American from Buffalo N.Y. He has two sisters, one older and one younger, and an older brother. His mother, Ann Myers-Smith was a first generation American. Her parents came over from Germany and settled in what is now the Buffalo area of New York. She had five siblings, three brothers and two sisters. My grandpa, Raymond “Grandpa Dar” Smith, was also a first generation American, his family sailed to America from England. He had 11 siblings, six boys and five girls. Traditions: '''Luna Side: '''The Luna side of my family still participates in “Spanish” traditions. It’s kind of funny, however, most of our traditions revolve around food. For special occasions, like Christmas, we eat “pasole,” a historical Spanish corn dish. I also grew up eating Empanadas, homemade sopapillas, green and red chile (and that’s how we spell chili), biscochitos, which are a famous New Mexican cookie. All these are great, however, our most beloved for tradition is called “stacked enchiladas,” a New Mexican staple. These enchiladas are served open-faced, not rolled and are drenched with red or green chile. They’re made with blue corn tortillas, also a New Mexican specialty. I also grew up eating paella and tapas, traditional Spanish cuisine. Some of our traditions not involving food include luminarias, fotolitos we’re also religious Catholics. Luminarias, are like little bonfires with the wood placed in a triangular shape. We build them around Christmas time. Fotolitos are little lanterns, per say, that are built using brown paper sacks, with sand placed inside of them and a candle lit. During Christmas time, these line the streets of Santa Fe and when my mother was young, my Bapa would tell her the fotolitos would guide Saint Nick to the houses. Cool Stories: '''Luna side: I’m very close with the Luna side of my family, so when interviewing my grandma for this assignment, I was surprised I’d never heard this story. My great-great- grandpa Nick who lived in Santa Fe played host to Governor Perez, of Mexico who was coming to be the new Governor of Santa Fe. He was hiding from the Indians and when he thought he had the all clear, he ran for it. However, the Indians tricked him and he was beheaded. With that, my great-great-great-great uncle sailed with Columbus and our Luna coat of arms is currently placed in the Alcazar Museum in Sevilla. I’m very excited, because this summer I’m studying abroad in Seville and will get to see the coat of arms in person! ' Smith Side: '''My grandpa Dar was a champion boxer, something I never knew. He boxed while he was in the Army-Air Force and was crowned as an Army heavyweight champ. He was also a champion hurdler. Something else really cool about my dad’s side of my family that is, his hometown, East Aurora (right outside Buffalo) is where Fisher-Price toys was started. It was started in a garage two blocks away from my dad’s childhood home. Language: '''Luna Side: '''The whole side of the Luna family speaks Spanish fluently. My great- grandparents spoke no English, so that’s where both my grandparents and my mother learned it. It’s always played a role in my family’s life and I think it’s been extremely beneficial in my life. I don’t speak it fluently, but fluent enough and I can understand it fine. Some of my family also lived in Spain for a period of time so that’s where some of my cousins learned the language as well. I hope that when I go to Spain I’ll be just as fluent as the rest of my family. '''Smith Side: '''None of my family speaks German. However, my grandma’s parents only spoke German and she knows German. She never spoke to my father or his siblings; therefore it hasn’t been passed down to the grandkids. Beliefs and Attitudes: ' Both sides: '''Both sides of my family are very religious. We are all Catholics and were confirmed within the church. Out of everyone on both sides of my family, my grandmothers are the most religious. They have always taught me, and their other grandchildren that there is a higher power and that someone is always watching over you and loves you unconditionally. Aside from religion, we’re all conservative in our political views. This is how it’s been my whole life, and my future children will be raised this way. We’re also huge sports fans on both sides. Whenever we gather for holidays, there’s always some sort of sporting event on the television. And ever since we were young, all the kids in the family were taught that sports are more than a game, sports are something that can bring a family together. I was also taught to work for everything I want. Both sides of my family have instilled the “hard work attitude” in me, and to this day I believe that if you work hard to get what you want, you shall receive. Perhaps the most important belief or attitude my family has taught me is gratitude. I’ve lived an extremely blessed life with little to no worries. Everyday my parents remind me to be grateful for everything I’ve been given and that it’s always, always important to give back to those who are less fortunate. Research: For this project, I’ve done research through different websites pertaining to my family including: www. Alcazarsevilla.org, fisher-price.com and ancestry.com. In addition, I also interviewed numerous family members, including my grandmothers, and aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides. Some of the stories told me to were ones I’ve never heard and others were old family treasures. Summary: After doing this research and conducting all my interviews, it was actually really exciting to learn/ remember so many things about where I come from. I truly believe that all my family traditions, beliefs and history have molded me into who I am today. My love for sports without a doubt comes from my family. The fighter side in me, who doesn’t take crap for anyone, definitely comes from my grandpa on my dad’s side. How could it not? A champion boxer never backs down from anyone, and those traits were passed down through generations. My love for food has to come from my Luna side. That’s all we ever do is eat. However, I wouldn’t have it any other way; some of the greatest memories I have of my Luna side come from us sitting around the table. With that said, my grandma’s guacamole was my first “non baby food” so it’s no surprise that it’s one of my favorites. In relation to Race, Gender, Class and the Media, like I said previously my family has always taught me to be thankful and that giving back and charity work is extremely important to give to those who aren’t so lucky. All in all, I thought this project was very enlightening. It allowed me to talk to relatives I haven’t gotten to talk to in too long, and for me to revisit and learn more about my entire family. I firmly believe that the traits I’ve gained from my family will be passed down to my children and theirs after that. Category:Students